Quarterfinal Rematch Belongs to the Bulldogs

In the 2024 Quarterfinal, Kingston defeated Morenci 36-21 along the path to their State Runner-up finish. As fate would have it, this second quarterfinal meeting in three years would take place on the same West Bloomfield court. Kingston featured a talented lineup of upperclassmen in 2024, but now it's the Bulldogs benefiting from a strong upperclassmen core.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/PXL_20260317_220113588-crop-3264x2144-1773839700.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1808643" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kingston vs. Morenci, Quarterfinal 16, West Bloomfield HS, March 17, 2026.</figcaption></figure>   Kingston led 9-8 at the end of the first quarter, but Morenci took its game to a higher level in the second quarter. The Bulldogs' offense sprang to life with multiple players contributing to a 13-0 run. Morenci took a 23-12 advantage into the half and never looked back, outscoring Kingston 19-13 the rest of the way, controlling the clock, while limiting quality scoring opportunities for the opponent. They capitalized on turnovers and second-chance looks on the offensive end. The Bulldogs captured a 42-25 victory and will play either Ishpeming or Inland Lakes in the State Semifinals on Thursday. Here are the prospects from both teams who stood out during the game.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/PXL_20260317_220427296-crop-3557x2336-1773840086.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1808645" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kingston vs. Morenci, Quarterfinal 16, West Bloomfield HS, March 17, 2026.</figcaption></figure>    Emersyn spearheaded the attack for Morenci during their Quarterfinal victory against Kingston. She paced the Bulldogs with 21 points and was a menace on the boards. Emersyn dropped in contested floaters, drove hard to the basket for layups, scored putbacks, finished through contact, and caused fouls. She froze a defender with a shot fake, then drove by for a bucket off two feet. Emersyn used a quick sweep move to beat her girl to the rim for a layup and scored a strong putback through contact, then finished the three-point play at the line. Emersyn's perimeter pressure and anticipation resulted in many steals on the defensive end. She took a steal all the way for a breakaway layup and fired a great lead pass ahead in stride to a teammate for one of her many assists. Emersyn utilizes counter pivots to create scoring angles and has a confident floater game. She averaged a team-high 17 points per game this season and will be one of the top unsigned seniors competing at the Breslin.     Colbie gave Morenci the edge they needed to secure a Quarterfinal victory against Kingston. Her hard work to gain the advantage inside resulted in several offensive rebounds. There was one possession where Colbie grabbed three offensive boards before scoring the putback. She sealed a defender in the low post, caught the entry pass with soft hands, used an effective drop step, then finished off two feet. Colbie sprinted up the court in transition to score a catch and finish layup off two feet and cut backdoor for another bucket. She picked off a pass from the help side and dished out assists from the high post. Colbie averaged a near double-double for Morenci this season (12.7 pts, 9.4 reb), and she poured in 11 for the Bulldogs in the win.     Evelyn became the all-time assist leader for Morenci this season, averaging 5.9 per game. She energized the team with a flurry of points in the second quarter of their Quarterfinal win. Evelyn crashed the glass, secured the offensive board, then finished the putback through contact for the and-one. She drained her free throw to complete the three-point play, then swished a smooth corner three on the following possession. Her triple gave Morenci a 21-9 lead and sent the student section into a frenzy. Evelyn contributed in every category, and she'll have an important role to play at the Breslin Center.     Vanessa is the next promising guard prospect coming through the ranks at Kingston. She competes hard on both ends of the floor, rebounds, creates space off the dribble, and shoots confidently from beyond the arc. Vanessa converted a tough contested layup, drilled a wing three with a hand in her face, and dropped in a floater off a penetrating dribble drive. She poured in seven points for the Cardinals and will be a cornerstone member of their backcourt moving forward.     Addyson gave Morenci a spark during their second quarter surge, sinking an elbow jumper and a floater off two feet in the paint. She made a great pass to a backdoor cutter for an assist and was active on the defensive end.     Molly turned in a determined effort for Kingston in the Quarterfinal, leading the Cardinals with 16 points. She absorbed contact on a hard drive, stopped suddenly to create a scoring angle, then scored off the glass. Molly kept her hands active to create steals and block shots on the defensive end. She chased down several offensive rebounds and kept moving to make it difficult for the opponent to box her out. Molly secured a rebound, dribbled out to the perimeter, and fired a deep shot from the corner for three points. She drained another triple from the corner and slashed through the paint for a layup. Molly graduates as Kingston's all-time leading scorer with over 2,000 points.

In the 2024 Quarterfinal, Kingston defeated Morenci 36-21 along the path to their State Runner-up finish. As fate would have it, this second quarterfinal meeting in three years would take place on the same West Bloomfield court. Kingston featured a talented lineup of upperclassmen in 2024, but now it's the Bulldogs benefiting from a strong upperclassmen core.